# Visiting Columbia with toddlers and little kids: the plan

> EdVenture and the Main Library are both downtown. Here’s a day or two, with nap time built in.

- Last checked: 2026-10-18
- One- and two-day plans with a nap in the middle
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/visiting/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/index.md
- City guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/guide/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/llms.txt

## Top 4 can’t-miss spots

- **EdVenture Children’s Museum** (Downtown, 211 Gervais St.): There’s a designated toddler area; under 2 free. Cost: $15 per person. Site: https://edventure.org/visit/
- **Riverbanks Zoo & Garden** (500 Wildlife Pkwy.): Check the Zoo’s calendar for evening events. Site: https://www.riverbanks.org/
- **Richland Library Main** (Downtown, 1431 Assembly St.): Family Storytime is Saturday at 10am. Cost: Free. Site: https://www.richlandlibrary.com/locations
- **Richland Library Sandhills** (Northeast, 763 Fashion Dr.): Toddler Storytime is Tuesday at 10:30. Cost: Free. Site: https://www.richlandlibrary.com/locations

## If you have one day

1. **MORNING**: EdVenture Children’s Museum (Open at 9 (closed Tue) · Downtown, 211 Gervais St. · $15 per person). https://edventure.org/visit/
2. **LUNCH**: Market on Main (Main Street lunch · Main Street). https://marketonmain.com/
3. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
4. **AFTER NAP**: Richland Library Main (Downtown library · Downtown, 1431 Assembly St. · Free). https://www.richlandlibrary.com/locations

## If you have two days

Day 1 is the one-day plan above. Day 2:

1. **MORNING**: Riverbanks Zoo & Garden (Zoo morning · 500 Wildlife Pkwy.). https://www.riverbanks.org/
2. **Nap**: Back to the hotel for nap. If your little one sleeps best in the car, take a loop.
3. **AFTER NAP**: Richland Library Sandhills (Library time · Northeast, 763 Fashion Dr. · Free). https://www.richlandlibrary.com/locations

## Where to stay

- **EdVenture and Main Library** (downtown): Both downtown. Near EdVenture Children’s Museum and Richland Library Main.

## Easy restaurants near the big stops

- **Market on Main** (American, Main Street): . https://marketonmain.com/

## Rainy-day backup plan

- **EdVenture Children’s Museum**: Indoors.
- **Riverbanks Zoo & Garden**: Zoo and garden.
- **Richland Library Main**: Indoors.
- **Richland Library Sandhills**: Indoors.

## Practical tips

- EdVenture on Tuesdays: EdVenture is closed on Tuesdays; check its site for summer hours.

## Free and cheap wins

- **Richland Library Main**: Free.
- **Richland Library Sandhills**: Free.

All free things to do in Columbia: https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/guide/#free


## Happening this week

- **South Carolina State Fair** (Fair hours 11am–9pm Mon–Fri, 10am–9pm Sat, noon–8pm Sun (rides run later)) at South Carolina State Fairgrounds. $20 at the gate ($16 online, $15 at Circle K); 5 and under free; ride vouchers $40–42. https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/#e-south_carolina_state_fair
- **Boo at the Zoo** (6–9pm) at Riverbanks Zoo & Garden. Tickets online; children under 2 free. https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/#e-boo_at_the_zoo_riverbanks
- **Pumpkins and Painting on Boyd Plaza** (Sat 9:30–11:30am) at Columbia Museum of Art. $10 per pumpkin (includes decorating supplies); gallery admission not included. https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/#e-pumpkins_and_painting_cma
- **Gladys’ Gang Preschool Edition: Head to Toe** (Wed 10–11am) at Columbia Museum of Art. Free; registration required. https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/#e-gladys_gang_preschool_cma
- **Bilingual Storytime (Richland Library Northeast)** (Thu 10am) at Richland Library Northeast. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/#e-bilingual_storytime_richland_library_nor

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in Columbia: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in Columbia for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is Columbia kid-friendly?
For a family with kids under 6, yes. Our Columbia guide lists 15 places we checked for little kids, plus 6 free places and 4 picks for babies and toddlers. This page adds 1 easy restaurant near the big stops and free storytimes at 2 library systems. This week’s list has 22 dated outings for ages 0–6. See [free things to do in Columbia](https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/guide/#free) and [this weekend’s list](https://littlesweekly.com/columbia-sc/).

### How many days do you need in Columbia with a toddler?
Two: EdVenture one day, Riverbanks the next.